At least 25 years ago my wife and I took her father to the surgical center to have his right eye done. We dropped him off and went out to lunch. When we picked him up he got in the car and said he wished he hadn't had it done. My wife asked him why? He said he couldn't see any better than before. My wife laughed and said "dad you have a plastic cup taped over your eye". I will never forget that conversation

Now that is funny

A few updates to this old thread. First off, my buddy has had both of his eyes done & he is seeing GREAT - no problems & no discomfort at all. He needed glasses since he was a little kid for seeing anything at a distance - driving, golfing, etc. He'd take his glasses off to read - that's what he was used to his whole life. The lenses they put in gave him great distance vision, but now he needs readers for reading anything. This is strange to him, but normal to me.

SO YESTERDAY morning, I had my first eye done - cataract & lens replacement in my left eye. And I'm having problems! First off, I had a very "scratchy" feeling in the eye - I thought this was normal. I have always had great vision, but started needing readers at about age 43, so I'm totally used to using reading glasses - no problem. I chose the 1st upgrade lens just like my buddy, which should keep my vision just the same as it is. In my starter post, I talked about elevated pressure in my eyes, which we have been treating with eye drops - it has worked fine so far. So my eye doctor - same one that did my buddy's eyes, said he'd not only do the cataract surgery, but once in there, he'd laser a relief hole for allowing the fluid to flow & maybe alleviate needing the eye drops.

Well anyway, after the surgery yesterday, not only a very scratchy feeling in the eye, but VERY blurry vision. This has still not improved at all, 21 hours after the surgery - it's like I have a film of vaseline over my eye. I went in this morning for the customary follow-up, & doc looked at my eye & said there was an "abrasion" on the eye surface - he said it was a moderate one. He seemed perplexed - he asked if I touched my eye with anything, which I have not. He said the surgery went perfectly - textbook. Well, as soon as I came out of the slumber, I felt it. I assured him it was nothing I did - I have not rubbed my eye or touched it with anything. I'm also getting pulsations at random & a "border" on the left side (the outboard) of my eye. So he put a soft contact on my eye today - a kind of bandage, that he will remove Monday morning. He said some patients wake from the surgery with GREAT vision, he said others can take several day to weeks to fully adjust to the surgery. My mind is going to a bad place right now - wondering if I am going to fully recover like expected! This is NOT good! Anybody have similar slow recovery or problems like this?

I've never had it, however your symptoms appear to be normal as part of the process.

AI had this to say when searching for blurry vision after cataract surgery:


* Yes, blurry vision is a normal part of the recovery process after cataract surgery

* Swelling: Swelling in the eye is a common cause of blurry vision after surgery.

* Adjusting to the new lens: Your brain needs to adjust to the removal of the cataract and the new, clear lens.

* Healing: Your eyes need time to heal and your visual system to readjust.

* Other temporary side effects include: Gritty feeling in your eyes, Red or bloodshot eyes, Watery eyes, and Double vision.

Here are some tips to help with the recovery process:
Follow your surgeon's post-operative care instructions, including taking prescribed medications and attending follow-up appointments.
Stay hydrated and eat a healthy diet.
Be patient. It can take up to six weeks to fully recover.
Contact your ophthalmologist if you have concerns about your vision. They can provide reassurance, adjust your treatment plan, or investigate other causes.
Some people may experience other issues after cataract surgery, including:
Posterior vitreous detachment: This can cause you to see moving spider webs and clouds in your vision, along with flashes of light. It usually gets better on its own within a few months, but you should call your doctor right away to get checked out.
Early form of dry AMD: This can cause you to not have 20/20 vision after cataract surgery.

^^^ Yup, and my surgeon told me to avoid any exertion for a while.
I wore that plastic eye patch as instructed, took a while before vision cleared.
The eye drop schedule was pretty constant for a while, but tapered off after several weeks.
At certain angles I can see a dark border, but never paid attention to that before the surgeries - may have always been that way - but it's not a problem.

I'm wondering if I should have chosen the standard no extra cost lens? I explained to the doc that my vision was VERY good at everything except reading, but my left eye vision was slowly deteriorating compared to my right eye for the last 1.5 years - I attributed it to something - like age or maybe a cataract. He was careful to not really recommend a type of lens, but I always got the feeling he was trying to upsell me. So I chose the first upgrade, which allows great distance vision & only needing readers - which is where I was at before the surgery. By choosing this one, I'm thinking maybe I made the wrong choice since I could already see well at distances??? He did not object to this choice at all.

Now my buddy who needed glasses for everything except reading, chose the same ones as me & now his vision was successfully transformed.

I hope I'll be back on here in a few days with great news - like my eye is adjusting to the new lens. Fingers crossed - this is miserable.

I had it done on one eye several years ago and it definitely helped my vision . The whole experience was a little frightening but went very well. My eye doctor told me back then that my other eye would have to be done eventually but my last check up he said it hadn't gotten any worse and surgery wasn't necessary yet. He did prescribe glasses for driving however and I have passed the eye exam in my annual CDL physical the last few years.

Given my experience, which was very good, I think you will need to wait until both eyes are done and your glasses are changed to know for sure what you vision is going to be like.

Good luck!

To an extent, one's depth of field (crisply defined vision at all distances) is due to the length of the eye front/rear.
Images are focused at the rear through the aperture at the front - like a camera.
Lenses can correct some of that, but in some cases it's a trade-off.
Both eyes may not be exactly the same dimensions.
One eye can become dominant as the result of adaptation by the brain.

The whole system is about as miraculous - and complex - as anything in Nature.
I was blissfully ignorant of all that until my detached retina compelled me to research it.

Update today - 12/13/24:

Vision in my left eye is still a little blurry, AND there is distortion on the outboard & bottom edges causing my vision to seem like I'm looking through a fish bowl. My right eye is fine, but the weirdness of the left eye is really throwing me off bigtime. Makes me dizzy & it is VERY disturbing! I go back to see my eye doctor this Monday. If I squint with my left eye, the vision gets less distorted. I have never heard of anyone having problems like this. If I have to go through the rest of my life like this, I am going to be miserable - it's even difficult to drive. I am NOT going to get my right eye done until this is hopefully resolved. This is a nightmare.

My wife is now 8 weeks since doing both eyes, she wore glasses all the time. Now just a cheap pair of readers. She opted for the 3 level lens $4000 extra. Like I said she’s has no problems to date. Id be on your docs butt to get yours fixed, he messed up imo. Hope it gets fixed!

man, i hope you get that mess fixed ASAP !
having to wear specs most of my life because of nearsightedness, and being VERY sensitive to light, i wear sunglasses most of the time. [remember, i spent almost 50 years during my working career as a machinist/shift supervisor on the midnight shift, so now i am a vampire. this may explain my need for the shades..... ]
at any rate, for many years now, i have had to wear "cheaters" to read, unless i can hold something in my hands far enough away allowing my old eyeballs to focus.
at my last check this summer, it was discovered i had cataracts forming in both eyes. however, it seems these things [at least for the time being] are making my distant sight greatly improved to the point i can get by without needing glasses to see distance as i have had to do my entire life.
the doc said it's more than likely caused by the cataracts applying the right amount of pressure on my eyes [or something like that] to correct my distance vision. he has no idea how long this will last, but for the time being, i'll take it !
still need "cheaters" to read, which reminds me, where did i lay those things down last ?..................

I hope you are able to get this straightened out. My dad has had problems with one eye since June. The first cataract surgery went well. The 2nd surgery not so much. He's 20/20 in one eye and the 2nd is 20/45 but only gets to that squinting. All he gets from the doc is I'm the best, no one can do better and you are legal to drive.

I've worn hard contacts for 48 yrs and hope I never have to have cataract surgery. Any eye surgery makes me nervous.

Well, it all depends on how tomorrow's appointment goes. He he keeps telling me "just keep using the eye drops & things will get better", I'll be looking for a new surgeon. When they install a new lens in your eye, it's a mechanical procedure, so it's either good or it's not. This artificial lens in my eye is not something my body is going to correct on it's own. This has NOT gotten any better since the procedure, and this should not be the case!

Who did the removal?

A very well-renowned Detroit area eye surgeon. Before the procedure he assured me that 99% of the lens replacements are problem-free. Who (besides me) would think I'd be one of the one-percenters? Now I'm wondering if it can be redone?

cudatom, what is his eye doctor telling him? That it's going to get better? Can he have the procedure done again to fix it?

I'm seeing the failure rate for this procedure being very very low. Also, your eye may just take more time to heal depending on your circumstances.

"Yes, recovery from cataract surgery can be slow for some people, with factors like overall health, pre-existing eye conditions, and individual healing rates influencing how quickly vision improves after the procedure; while most people see significant vision improvement within a few days to a week, complete healing can take several weeks or even months for certain individuals."

I never had eye surgery but most likely will need soon(maybe?). I can attest to being a one percenter after what I went thru on my heart surgery. Now I need it again. Not happy long story.

I had cataract surgery about 8 months ago. It took several weeks to sort of recover from the surgeries and to somewhat stabilize.. I got new glasses after a couple months. Pretty good vision with new glasses. Now, seems like my vision has changed again. Another new pair of lenses for glasses will be on order next march(insurance limitations) . Your current doc needs to clearly state what is the reasons for your issues. If he can't to your satisfaction, find another doc. good luck !